Fee, Gordon D. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. New International Commentary on the New Testament, rev. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987—Solidly evangelical and massive in detail. Probably the single most important commentary on 1 Corinthians from any perspective.

Witherington, Ben III. Conflict and Community in Corinth: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994—An up-to-date treasure trove of historical background information for each part of 1 and 2 Corinthians, with particular sensitivity to sociological and literary structure.

Barrett, C. K. A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Harper’s New Testament Commentary. New York: Harper, 1968—A moderate approach from one of Britain’s best. The standard before Fee and Witherington came along.

Robertson, A. and Plummer, A. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. International Critical Commentary. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1911—An enduring standard on the Greek text.

Morris, Leon. The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians. Tyndale New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985, rev.—Best shorter evangelical exposition, significantly enhanced in its revised form.

Bruce, F. F. 1 and 2 Corinthians. New Century Bible. London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1971—Much briefer than all of the above but with remarkable exegetical sense by this century’s dean of evangelical scholarship.

Prior, David. The Message of 1 Corinthians. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1985—Single best volume of contemporary application by a scholar-pastor who reflects international and cross-cultural insights.

Watson, Nigel. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. [Epworth] London: Epworth, 1992—An up-to-date, brief, accurate exposition by a long-time Australian professor of note.

Kistemaker, Simon. Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993—Detailed study of text, with special sections on key interpretive issues, Greek words, and practical considerations. Breaks little new ground and tends to read in Reformed theology, but solidly evangelical and thorough.

Snyder, Graydon F. First Corinthians: A Faith Community Commentary. Macon, Ga.: Mercer, 1992—A new work by a Mennonite with helpful sections on biblical theology and historical significance in addition to original meaning.

Talbert, Charles H. Reading Corinthians. New York: Crossroad, 1987. An important short study focusing on Jewish and Greco-Roman backgrounds and literary structures.

Conzelmann, Hans. 1 Corinthians. Hermeneia. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1975—Translation of the modern German critical standard. A wealth of historical detail not readily accessible elsewhere, but so consistently idiosyncratic in interpretive views as to make its value very uneven.

Ellingworth, Paul and Howard Hatton. A Translator’s Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. New York: United Bible Societies, 1985—Particularly helpful for those without Greek; it compares and comments on the RSV and TEV with suggestions for alternate translations and clarifications.

Barclay, William. The Letters to the Corinthians. Daily Study Bible rev. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975—Vintage exposition and application by one of Scotland’s great preachers.

Murphy-O’Connor, Jerome. 1 Corinthians. New Testament Message. Very brief but based on numerous detailed studies by one of this generation’s foremost scholars of 1 Corinthians, a moderately conservative Roman Catholic.

Quast, Kevin. Reading the Corinthian Correspondence: An Introduction. New York: Paulist, 1994—Reliable, brief evangelical exposition from a predominantly Catholic publishing house!

Chafin, Kenneth L. 1, 2 Corinthians. Communicator’s Commentary. Waco: Word, 1985—Like Prior, very helpful on application. Less exegesis but some excellent homiletical illustrations.

Harrisville, Roy A. 1 Corinthians. Augsburg. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1987—Medium-level exposition by an important contemporary Lutheran scholar.

Ruef, John. Paul’s First Letter to Corinth. Westminster Pelican Commentary. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1971—Concise, readable, but with selected comments rather than running prose in many places. Few exegetical distinctives.

Grosheide, F. W. Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians. New International Commentary, orig. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1953—Fee’s predecessor before the series was revised. Frequently dated but still at times helpful.

Héring, Jean. The First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians. London: Epworth, 1962—Translation of important older French work, but now increasingly dated and less useful.

Orr, William F. and James A. Walther. 1 Corinthians. Anchor Bible. Garden City: Doubleday, 1976—One of the less substantial volumes in an illustrious series but with occasionally useful insights.

Patterson, Paige. The Troubled Triumphant Church. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983—Tends to overinterpret, but generally solid, popular-level exposition by an influential Southern Baptist.

Vines, Jerry. God Speaks Today. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979—Another important Southern Baptist preacher expounds 1 Corinthians, but these are basically just sermons in printed form, and many of the illustrations are becoming quite dated.

Mare, W. Harold. “1 Corinthians.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 10. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976. Pp. 173–297—One of the weaker contributions to an otherwise important series. At times simply wrong, Mare nevertheless brings his archaeological expertise to bear helpfully on certain passages.

MacArthur, John F. 1 Corinthians. Chicago: Moody, 1984—Printed form of sermons by one of America’s leading preachers, but his dispensationalism at times overwhelms sane exegesis.

Carson, D. A. The Cross and Christian Ministry: An Exposition of Passages from 1 Corinthians. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993—Vintage exegesis and application of 1 Corinthians 1–4 and 9 by one of America’s foremost evangelical New Testament scholars.

Carson, D. A. Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12–14. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984—Same as above on vexed questions of spiritual gifts; perhaps finest balance in interpretation available.

Liftin, Duane. St. Paul’s Theology of Proclamation. Cambridge: University Press, 1994—A scholarly treatment of chapters 1–4 in light of ancient rhetoric.

Martin, Ralph P. The Spirit and the Congregation: Studies in 1 Corinthians 12–15. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984—Not quite the quality of Carson’s second volume noted above, but close.

Ellis, E. Earle. Pauline Theology: Ministry and Society. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989—Chapters include treatment of body of Christ, spiritual gifts, the “eschatological woman,” and so on. By an extremely prolific and influential American evangelical.

Green, Michael. To Corinth with Love. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1982—Thematic studies of most major topics in 1 and 2 Corinthians by an important Anglican pastor-scholar.

Grudem, Wayne A. The Gift of Prophecy in 1 Corinthians. Washington, D.C.: University Press of America, 1982—A revised Cambridge thesis, a comprehensive and balanced discussion of the topic.

Hemphill, Kenneth S. Spiritual Gifts. Nashville: Broadman, 1988—Solid scholarship, excellent balance, and eminently readable, by one of today’s leading Southern Baptist pastor-scholars.

Hurley, James B. Man and Woman in Biblical Perspective. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981—Growing out of a Cambridge thesis on 1 Corinthians, this remains the best treatment of the topic from a hierarchical perspective.

Keener, Craig S. Paul, Women and Wives. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1992—The most exegetically sane and historically detailed discussion of the topic by an egalitarian. Keener is a rising star on the National Baptist horizon.

Schatzmann, Siegfried. A Pauline Theology of Charismata. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1987—Excellent biblical theology from a mildly charismatic perspective.